


the sun and the sunflower

by Katcchan



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Comfort, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Fever, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Sickfic, Soft Langa, Soft Reki, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katcchan/pseuds/Katcchan
Summary: Reki smiled softly, and Langa's heart seized in his chest. His smile reminded him of warm sunlight peeking through the clouds after the rain.
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa & Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 5
Kudos: 227





	the sun and the sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic for SK8. Reki and Langa are SO cute and I couldn't help but make a fluffy fic for them! This story's pre-slash but a hint of the budding romance is there. Hope you enjoy it! I had so many feels while making this!
> 
> In this fic, Reki didn't challenge Adam to a beef, so this takes place a few days after Langa defeats Miya. Enjoy!

For the first time since Langa attended his new school in Okinawa, he was met with a strange sight.

When he entered their classroom that morning, Langa immediately noticed that the corner seat was empty. After hanging his school bag and skateboard bag on the side of his table, he sat down and scanned the surroundings. His classmates were engaged in the usual chit-chat, punctuated by bouts of laughter from time to time.

Everything's normal, except for the fact that a particular redhead was nowhere to be found.

Concern creasing his brows, Langa fished his phone from his pocket and sent Reki a text.

_you're not coming to school today?_

The girl sitting in front of him who just arrived greeted him a good morning, to which Langa responded back with a smile.

A few moments later, his phone beeped.

_i have a slight fever. sorry, can't skate with you today :-( but don't worry, i'll get better in no time!_

  
_i see. get well soon, reki._

_thanks! you better practice well while I'm not around._

Sighing, Langa put his phone back in his pocket. Mixed feelings of concern laced with worry gnawed at him. The thought of sick Reki resting on his bed, alone, made Langa feel sorry for him. But judging from the many times he came over to the redhead's house, Langa knew that Reki had a kind and doting mother. He will be fine.

_How did he get sick anyway?_

The door slid open and their homeroom teacher came in, signaling the start of class.

Reki will be fine; he's sure of it.

* * *

  
The unpleasant feelings didn't leave Langa for the rest of the day. He felt fidgety in the middle of class like he was supposed to be somewhere and _not_ there, and he kept on glancing at his watch.

As the bell rang for dismissal, he never knew he could pack his things up as quickly as what he's doing at the moment. Lifting his backpack onto his shoulders, he made a beeline for the door, but not without being greeted by his friendly classmates goodbye.

Warmth filled Langa's chest. The transferee thought that he wouldn't care whether he'd fit in with his new classmates or not, but now that he knew it was the former, it made him feel happy.

Reki helped him out a lot in making friends.

_Reki..._

At that moment, Langa made up his mind.

Instead of going to the park for practice, Langa went the opposite way to the local grocery instead.

* * *

**_["Hello?"]_ **Langa's mother sounded surprised on the other side of the phone. **_["What is it, dear? You rarely call."]_**

"Mom, what can I give someone who's sick?"

**_["Is Reki-kun sick?"]_ **

Langa's hand reaching for a bottle of orange juice stilled. His mom only knew Reki out of his classmates, but it still surprised him that she guessed what's up quickly. "Hm. He said he has a slight fever. I want to visit him. I'm at Shiro Mart right now."

At present, they didn't have any beefs to prepare for, so Langa figured that he could skip practice today. Besides, he knew that Reki will appreciate the visit.

**_["Buy a mask while you're at it. Do you have something in mind to buy?"]_ **

"A bottle of orange juice?" He stared at the pint-sized bottle and crunched his nose. "Two bottles?"

_**["Aish, sick people should consume natural stuff, natural! Buy him real oranges! Epsom salt too. He can use it for a warm bath. And he's not too sick, right? You can buy him some snacks. The soft ones only, avoid the too sweet ones. Also-"]** _

Shaking his head in amusement, Langa went to the fruits section, all the while receiving advice from his equally doting mother.

* * *

As soon as Reki's mother opened the door, her expression quickly changed from curiosity to extreme delight. She became even more pleased when Reki handed her the care package.

"How sweet of you, Langa-kun! Thank you for bringing all these. Reki is awake, so you can chat with him for a while."

While Mama Kyan arranged the groceries, Langa headed to Reki's room and opened the door. Inside, he was greeted by the dumbfounded expression of Reki, who was sitting on his bed, phone in hand.

"Langa?!" Reki's amber eyes grew wide as he stared at his visitor. "You came to visit? I was about to text you."

"I… Y-Yeah." The blue-haired boy stuttered. Reki was surprised to see him, but the sight Langa saw took him by surprise too. Without the layered and baggy clothing, the redhead looked... _smaller_. Softer even, if that made sense. For once, Reki didn't have his favorite blue bandana on, allowing his bangs to fall freely over his face. He was also wearing loose, long-sleeved pajamas the shade of Langa's hair, and those patterns, are those...?

"Pft-" Langa sputtered and let out a low chuckle.

Of course, Reki has _skateboard-printed_ pajamas.

The person on the bed pouted and feigned hurt. "What's so funny?"

Langa pointed at Reki's clothes. As soon as the latter got what he meant, they both laughed lightheartedly.

"My mom gifted me this. I have four more in other colors, wanna see?"

The blue-haired boy shook his head fondly. "I'm sure you do. No need." He pointed at the lone swivel chair in the room. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead!"

As Langa dropped his bags on the floor and occupied the chair across Reki, the other's fever-flushed face became more noticeable. He asked the question lurking on his mind since this morning. "Do you know why you got sick?"

"Ah..." Reki let out a nervous laugh and rubbed his head sheepishly. "It seems like I've been overexerting myself lately. I also haven't slept much."

_Lately?_

Langa tilted his head in confusion. But lately, Reki's always been with...

Oh.

Guilt churned in Langa's stomach at the realization. Outside school and his shifts in Dope Sketch, Reki spent all his free time practicing with Langa until night. Often, Reki sent links of skating videos in the wee hours of the morning, suggesting that he stayed up very late. Reki even made his skateboard for him, and the latest beef with Miya had the redhead working to improve Langa's board.

Reki has always been a comforting presence to him, always helping him out in any way that he can, even in matters outside skating. Langa had been taking all of that for granted. And now his friend was sick because of him.

Before he can wallow further in his guilt, a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"You do know you're making sad puppy eyes now, right?" Reki commented amusingly.

The heat of embarrassment crept up the taller's cheeks. However, the feeling quickly faded, and soon enough, the guilt settled once more. Langa looked at his friend in the eyes. "Reki, I'm sor-"

 _"Idiioooot,"_ Reki interrupted, rendering Langa speechless.

The redhead crossed his arms. "Don't feel bad about it! I'm sure you already know this, but skateboarding is my passion. I love it like crazy, so seeing a friend love the same sport as I do makes me want to cheer them on. Besides, I'm happy that I get to have fun with you every day. That's why..."

Reki smiled softly, and Langa's heart seized in his chest. His smile reminded him of warm sunlight peeking through the clouds after the rain.

"Instead of sorry, you can tell me something else."

Memories of his times with Reki flashed in Langa's mind. Of the time Reki made him ride a skateboard for the first time. Of the time he helped him find a job and made his skateboard for him. Of the times Langa fell, sprawled on the ground, only to look up and meet those clear, honest eyes-

(-and feel his heart skip a beat.)

_"Thank you."_

It's the first thing that came to Langa's mind amidst the whirlwind of feelings inside him. And it felt _right._

Reki made a peace sign and grinned. "You're welcome."

"Think you can come to school tomorrow?"

"I'm not really sure. I feel a little better, but Mom's gonna kick my ass if I go to school when I'm not fully recovered."

"I'll make sure to practice tomorrow even if you're not there. You focus on getting better."

"Too bad you never got to use your board today, huh? Wait..." Reki's amber eyes lit up all of a sudden. He opened the drawer to his nightstand and pulled out his laptop.

Grinning at Langa, he asked, "Want to watch some videos?

* * *

Almost an hour later, Reki's mother entered with a tray of food. The two were immersed in watching skating videos, oblivious to the woman by the door. Her son's knees were drawn up, blanket bunched over his feet while his friend sat on the edge of the bed. She stood still for a minute, amused by the scene.

Eventually, the pair noticed her and gave small, guilty smiles. Mama Kyan placed the tray on the nightstand. "Here's some chicken soup and orange juice. The juice is made from the oranges Langa-kun bought. Reki, thank him properly, okay?"

Reki smiled widely and elbowed Langa on the side. "Eh, you bought fruits for me? Aww, I'm touched."

Mama Kyan gestured to the second glass on the tray. "Langa-kun, have some cake and juice too! Oh, do you want some chicken soup as well?"

"It's fine, Kyan-san, thank you." Langa looked at the two glasses of juice on the tray and smiled at the woman. "I'll drink the juice."

Reki raised a hand as if he's in class. "Mom, I want cake too!"

"Hush, you should avoid sugary food for now. But you can eat these oatmeal bars Langa-kun bought. Langa-kun's so thoughtful, isn't he?" Said boy smiled shyly as Mama Kyan cooed over him. "Isn't he an _angel?_ Imagine if I had a son like him!"

Reki acted scandalized, making the two other people in the room laugh. He wiped fake tears from his eyes. "I'm still your son here, right?"

After fussing over her son a bit more and reminding him to drink the little cup of medicine in the tray, the woman left. The blue-haired boy sat back on the chair to give them both space to eat and also because he needed to take off his mask.

The two chatted as they ate. Langa told Reki about the things he missed in class and that he'd let him borrow his notes. Reki, in return, whined to Langa about waking up in the morning and feeling like his body was lead.

As they continued to talk about anything under the sun, Langa noticed that Reki's reactions were toned down than usual. During the times when he'd typically grin or let out a bark of laughter, Reki only smiled. He talked quieter than he usually did too. It certainly had something to do with the fever. Still, even though Langa liked the super energetic and bubbly Reki, this softer side of him wasn't so bad.

He's probably the only one who ever saw Reki like this.

(He wanted it to remain that way, as selfish as it may sound.)

Snack time was over, the plate and bowl licked clean of food, and the pair resumed watching videos. Reki suggested that they watch snowboarding videos this time and asked Langa to tell him about the tricks he knew.

They stayed like that for a while until exhaustion finally caught up to the sick redhead.

Langa clicked another video and pointed at the guy doing the trick. "This one's the Wildcat. It's your normal backflip, but-"

His voice trailed off when he felt a new weight leaning against him.

Reki seemed to have fallen asleep, head resting on Langa's shoulder, his hair tickling the latter's neck and cheek.

Carefully, Langa wrapped an arm around Reki to not jostle him too much as he reached forward to turn off the laptop. Reki still felt warm, his higher than usual temperature seeping through his clothes.

The clock on the wall read _6:12 p.m_. It's time for Langa to leave and let his friend rest properly.

As he opened the nightstand drawer, Reki shifted in his hold. "Hmm…" He rubbed his eyes sleepily but didn't move away. "Sorry, I fell asleep..."

"It's fine. I'll return your laptop now, okay?"

"Hmm..."

After securing the laptop in the drawer, the blue-haired boy eased his sick friend back to lying on the bed. He fondly stared at the latter's sleeping features for a while before covering him with a blanket. However, before he could leave, Reki grasped his hand and squeezed.

Langa's legs felt like jelly all of a sudden. He kneeled on the side of the bed and squeezed the hand holding his back.

(His heart picked up its rhythm faster and faster until he felt like he couldn't _breathe_.)

"Thank you for coming, Langa." Reki's eyes, though tired and half-open, still relayed his sincerity. Langa's smile was gentle as he placed the other's hand back under the covers.

"You're welcome. Get well soon, Reki."

* * *

Before leaving for the night, Reki's mother made Langa wash his hands on the sink first and told him to take a proper bath once he gets home. _To keep yourself healthy and clean_ , she stressed.

"I'll wake him up later to make him eat again if he's hungry and take a bath, so don't worry about him. Have a safe trip, Langa-kun," the woman said as Langa slipped into his shoes.

The boy stood up and bowed at her.

"Thank you, Kyan-san."

And then he left.

* * *

The moon shone brightly in the sky as Langa walked. He planned on skating home, but there were too many bends so he waited until he reached a long road.

Langa's visit cleared up his unease and worries _and_ at the same time, made him reaffirm things. Things he didn't want to address yet, but couldn't ignore anymore.

Reki told him something once weeks ago when Langa lay exhausted on the ground after practicing the ollie. Told him that when he saw Langa in the air for the first time in his beef against Shadow, Reki saw countless white snowflakes materialize out of thin air. A _beautiful_ , majestic sight.

But Langa hasn't told Reki _this_ yet. Hasn't told him that every time he looks at Reki, he sees a vast field of sunflowers with the sun high in the sky, casting its warm light. Or perhaps Reki was the _sun_ itself, and Langa was the _sunflower_ looking at him and him only.

The blue-haired boy may be lacking in social skills, but he wasn't naive and stubborn. He knew where these budding feelings would eventually take him, but he won't worry about them yet. He's still young, after all.

Someday, he'll be able to relay these feelings, and he hoped that the other would feel the same.

That night, Langa skated home, relishing the coolness of the wind and the warmth in his heart.

* * *

Two days later, when Langa entered his classroom once again, Reki was there, waving at him with that smile he loved.

It's another beautiful day.

**Author's Note:**

> Idc if it's cheesy I just have so many feelings for them okay?!! This fic is basically just Langa being a caring (boy)friend and Reki being soft. Also, I headcanon Langa as someone who wouldn't panic when he realizes that he likes someone. I think he'll accept it as it is and leave his future decisions to the future him. He has a teeny tiny crush on Reki now for sure (in this fic), but once it gets bigger than that, I'm sure he'll make his move. He's cool like that. I hope you liked it!


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